Simanaitis Says

On cars, old, new and future; science & technology; vintage airplanes, computer flight simulation of them; Sherlockiana; our English language; travel; and other stuff

Category Archives: Classic Bits

THE POTENCY OF COLOR

IT WAS the color scheme that attracted me to the Vulcan American Moth. Its photograph in Classic Airplanes of the Thirties: Aircraft of the Roaring Twenties (Flight, Its First Seventy-Five … Continue reading

April 6, 2016 · Leave a comment

WE’LL ALWAYS HAVE ESTORIL

THE APRIL 2016 issue of Saveur, my favorite magazine of cuisine (and travel) brought back memories of Ayrton Senna’s first Formula One victory, the Portuguese Grand Prix, Estoril, 1985. I … Continue reading

March 26, 2016 · 1 Comment

SHOW CARS I’VE DRIVEN—MORE OR LESS

CONCEPT CARS are the icing on the auto show cake. These cars embody the latest trends of auto styling. They often hint at products coming soon from automakers. They can … Continue reading

March 24, 2016 · 7 Comments

THE FIRST FERRARI F1

A CUTAWAY of a car or aircraft can entertain me for hours. This one of the Ferrari 125 is a fine example. There has been a succession of Ferrari Formula … Continue reading

March 23, 2016 · 3 Comments

PACIFIC COAST TOURING

“AUTOMOBILE TOURING on the Pacific Coast is altogether a different matter from that of tooling about the East.” This claim comes from Charles Fuller Gates, a travel, bicycle and motoring … Continue reading

March 16, 2016 · Leave a comment

A “GOOD OLD DAYS” FERRARI ROAD TEST

AH, THE GOOD OLD DAYS! Fifty years ago a Ferrari 275 GTS could be bought for half the price of today’s average new car. In a September 1966 Road Test, … Continue reading

March 7, 2016 · 6 Comments

DECO DREAMING

I’M LISTENING to a CD of contralto Nathalie Stutzmann singing the songs of Francis Poulenc, and it’s giving me daydreams of Art Deco. This design style, short for Arts Décoratifs, … Continue reading

March 4, 2016 · 2 Comments

THE GLEN, 1948

THERE WAS A time when Watkins Glen was known primarily for its salt mines. It was the home of Watkins Salt Company, a major player in salt production in the … Continue reading

February 28, 2016 · 2 Comments

ANDRÉ DUBONNET’S FLIGHT OF AUTOMOTIVE FANCY

ANDRÉ DUBONNET had already distinguished himself in many ways: flying a SPAD XIII in World War I combat, driving a Duesenberg to fourth in the 1921 French Grand Prix at … Continue reading

February 2, 2016 · 5 Comments

ANDRÉ DUBONNET, WEALTH AND TALENT WELL SPENT

ANDRÉ DUBONNET is exemplary of inherited money put to good use. His wealth came from his father’s inventing the aperitif bearing the family name. Andre didn’t have to work, yet … Continue reading

February 1, 2016 · 3 Comments